Won't Be Free
by whitewolf 100
Summary: Rue never goes to the hunger games. And what would happen if there was a different winner?
1. Chapter 1

_My heart pounded as they started the Reaping. First they call out the boy, then it's always the girl. It almost makes me cry to see them act so happy. My first memory of how cruel the capitol is was always being hungry… _

_The next was when you didn't know where people went, because if they were gone suddenly, you never saw them again._

"_Thresh." They called startling me out of my thoughts. I didn't know him, but he was maybe 3 years older than me. I had seen him before, and he always looked so kind._

_I feel sorrow like I do every year at this time, but this time it's different. This time my name's in the drawing._

(A.N.) Before anyone says anything, yes I do know that they choose the girl and then the boy in the books but I had a story idea and this worked better for it.


	2. Chapter 2

_ The announcer glanced at the next piece of paper and said clearly, "Rue." I think my mind kind of shorted out right then. I felt myself going toward the boy called Thresh to stand by him. All my thoughts went through my head at once. My family, friends, even the people like the peacekeepers flew by quickly._

_ Then suddenly a voice called out "I volunteer for her." _

_ Did I really hear that? I whirled around and looked at the audience. Who I saw surprised me..._

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	3. Chapter 3

Who I saw surprised me...

_Aven was best friend from as long as I could remember, she was always sick or ailing for some reason. Her life was worse because her parents were gone…_

_Almost the entire district tried to help her out, whether by giving her a tiny bit of food, or giving her a place to stay for a while. It didn't matter that she was 2 years older than me, she always seemed to understand._

_I tried to move as she walked past, but time seemed to slow down. The reaction to her declaration was loud and spontaneous. Aven hardly glanced at me as she walked past…_

A.N. Since both Thresh and Rue have names that are from plants, Aven is a plant with red, white, or yellow flowers.

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	4. Chapter 4

_They allowed me to go visit with her before she left. Almost nobody else was there, so I didn't have to wait long. I walked into the room and sat across from her._

"_Why?" was my only question. She looked at me, with the face that so many people had said was almost an exact copy of mine, stood up, walked up to me and hugged me with what seemed all she had._

_She said, "Because you're my friend, and I think you can go farther than I can. After all, how long can I last here anyways?" I've started to cry. "The peacekeepers always find a way to punish the people that help me. Why not do something for a friend while I leave. And maybe we'll see each other again someday."_

_This only makes me cry harder._

_She smiled at me sadly before sitting back down; already she looked more tired than a healthy person would. We sat in silence for a while, with me going though all my memories in my head._

_I hugged her hard. A few moments later they came and removed me from the room. I still don't understand why she would volunteer for me, even as my best friend._

**_I miss her so much…_**

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	5. Chapter 5

_Every single year they made us watch the games. This year was the worst. Right now they were showing us __Aven__ and __Thresh__. Thresh had made a constant effort to keep Aven safe. It made me happy, knowing someone was` looking out for her…_

_(What they see next that happens on the games)_

** _/// _**_Thresh just left and Cato comes and hits Aven by cutting at her neck. Thresh comes back running and sees Aven lying there on the ground. Then Thresh turns around and kills Cato, the first person he's killed in the games. (He doesn't kill Clove in this)_

_Shock and pain flash across his face as he realizes what he's done and what has happened to Aven. Aven's wound is not bad, but she is dying from blood loss._**_ ///_**

_Aven was dying! Right in front of me, and I couldn't do anything to help her. On the screen I saw Thresh trying to staunch the __blood flow__ and make her more comfortable._

_Even as she died, I think I saw a smile on her face. Why was she smiling? That should be me, not her!_

_But then I remember our conversation before she left, and the word friend vibrated in my mind…_


	6. Chapter 6

**Ok, I have the rest of the story planned; now I just need to get it on here.**

**A.N. Just to say this once since I forgot on all the others- disclaimer- Suzanne Collins books are not mine.**

_Thresh returned a week ago._

_I couldn't forgive him at the time. Only the day before he returned they re-watched the highlights of the games. He looked only discerning or non-caring as he watched person after person die on the screen all over again. The only emotion he was seen showing was a flicker across his face when Aven died._

_The day he came back the district had a sort of celebration for him. I knew it was being unfair but I couldn't, or maybe wouldn't, bring myself to go._

_Just yesterday I saw him walking down the street. I had this need to go talk to him, even though I had no idea what to say._

_So I did…_

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	7. Chapter 7

"_Hi", I just stood there awkwardly, hoping he would answer quickly._

_There was a few moments of silence, then he said, "Aven… talked about you a lot. She said you were the best friend she ever had. She wanted me to tell you that."_

_He looked like he wanted to choke._

_Then anger started boiling up in me that spilled over in tears. If I was as good a friend as Aven said I was, would I have let her take my place? Why? Why? Why!_

_So I yelled it at him. He just stared at me for a while, and I really thought that maybe the games had made his emotions disappear, because he was showing me nothing, than I noticed tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. That almost shocked me out of my tears. Had he known Aven well enough to compensate a reason for __**his**__ tears?_

_He looked at me sadly, "She wanted us to be friends." He said, "But I'll understand if you don't want to."_

_I just stared at him. Aven… had wanted us to be friends? How could she, when he had let her die?_

_I feel a smile start to creep up on my face. Then again, that's the kind of person Aven was…_

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	8. Chapter 8

_Well, you can probably guess what I said Aven._

_It's now been about two months since you went to the games. Today, I'm going over to the winner's village to talk to Thresh again. He says he's going to tell me everything that you said during the games._

_It's funny when I think of you now. You seem to be so far away, yet so close to my heart and my memory._

_I also think Thresh cared more about you than he ever let on. I wish I could have seen how things would have worked out between you. Look at me, you would probably tell me I'm trying to play matchmaker._

_Well, knowing you Aven, Thresh and I will probably be the best of friends soon._

_But just to let you know, I'll never forget you Aven._

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